Some reflections

By Ayodele Fagbohun
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When the Fourth Republic finally came into being on October 1, 1999, the nation welcomed it with a sigh of relief and reservations.

For  the people through their self avowed representatives viz the pro-democracy activists notably National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), having won partial victory in wrestling power after the aborted revalidation of the popular electoral mandate freely given to the murdered business mogul and Social Democratic Party presidential standard bearer, MKO Abiola on June 12, 1993.

The road to the Fourth Republic was largely strewn with open betrayal of democratic norms, sophistry and unabashed intrigues and treachery by the then military rulers who were supposed to play the role of unbiased umpire.

Alas! They connived with some well known Nigerian elite, both from the private and public sectors to work in league and torpedoed genuine transition to civil rule.

Having brainwashed and deceived the people with some lofty programmes like Mass Mobilization (MAMSER), Directorate of Foods, Roads and Infrastructure (DFRRI), Peoples’ Bank amongst others to tell the whole world that if given the mandate, the initiators of the populist programmes would serve the best interests of Nigerians.  Hence, the hollow and shallow depth of reasoning, why then change of guards?

The military adventures in politics quickly and thoughtlessly dangled the bogey of “newbreed” which the former warlord, Chief Emeka Odumegun Ojukwu rightly called new greed politicians, all in the futile attempt to rubbish and ban old brigade politicians and to perpetuate “diarchy,” a bizarre political system recommended by Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, a retired politician and the only ceremonial president the nation had produced.

Far from being an impartial arbitrator, the military still found one of its own, General Olusegun Obasanjo, a former military Head of State who eventually reaped the political windfall in the February 27, 1999 presidential poll.

President Olusegun Obasanjo of the Peoples Democratic Party was sworn in as elected president on May 29, 1999.

The nation was nonplused, instead of learning from the pitfalls of the past and straightened records for the good of the people, Obasanjo and his friends in the PDP did not  address, let alone conquer the multi-dimensional and faceted problems staring the nation in the face.

First and foremost, there was intractable problem of social inequality, injustice, and grinding poverty which were pervasive, giving rise to youth restiveness, unemployment, violence, insecurity and its concomitant social vices ought not to have been the people’s lots given the right ideological orientation of leadership to tackle the menace headlong.

And to canalize the rich potential and natural endowment of the country for the good and benefit of the citizenry.  Alas; the people, are more often than not and invariably, deceived and hoodwinked with stick and carrot approach of giving them the dividends of democracy.

It was imperative and indeed a masterstroke if the Obasanjo-led PDP could have plucked enough courage; took the most decisive and wholistic approach and effectively combated the scourge frontally.

The nation must reduce the overhead; particularly the jumbo pay fraudulently and insidiously to large retinue of political office holders and unnumbered hangers-on across the country for doing so little and marginally to grow the economy.  This is to the chagrin of the civil and other public servants whose personal emoluments are so niggardly; not forthcoming as at when due.

The entitlement in fringe benefits are not commensurate to the workers’ work schedules which can automatically uplift and enhance productivity.

What we can behold since 1999; it falls far short of elegance, pride and fiscal discipline in our National Assembly.  It is an ugly sight to behold.  The lawmakers regardless of their titles or nomenclature across the country constitute the hallowed chambers as mere talk shop where some doze off, some conduct the solemn task of lawmaking of frivolous while the voices of negligible few who are intensely patriotic and concerned about the future of the country, are muzzled by the discordant voices of the oppressive majority.

What is worse, the National Assembly and its counterpart in the various State Assemblies are bedlams for intrigues, treachery and cesspit for violence, illicit corruption and  corrupt practices to rip off the economy.  This is the bane of our own democracy.

As a reflection, the address by Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the leader of Unity Party of Nigeria to the second annual conference to Oyo State chapter of UPN in the second republic on separation of power amongst the three arms of government is salutary.

Here are some excerpts from the message of illustrious Obafemi Awolowo to guide our fledgling democracy from being atrophied: “Legislature and the Executive must work in close and harmonious collaboration with each other, if the welfare of the people is to be truly and effectively served.  “It is the responsibility of the executive to govern and administer the territory under its charge for the benefit of the people therein.  To this end, it must initiate policies and programmes, and mobilise all the means at its disposal for their implementation and execution.  In discharging its responsibilities, the executive acts in its unfettered discretion, but within the bounds circumscribed by the constitution.

“If it exceeds those bounds or infringes the law, and there complaint to that effect, the Judiciary must so pronounce with a view to curb the excess or infraction complained of.

“On the other hand, it is the responsibility of the Legislature to give legally-binding effect and authority to the policies and programmes of the executive, whenever called upon to do so by the latter i.e the executive.  In the exercise of this function, the legislature has to satisfy itself, in its own independent judgement, that any given policy or programme is in the best interests of the people, and ‘intra vires’ its constitutional powers.  Once in a while, on the motion of one or more of its members, the legislature may make laws which will have the effect of laying down policies and programmes which the executive would be bound to implement and execute.  In the discharge of its duties, if the legislature exceeds its bounds, the judiciary may be called upon to adjudicate.”

Awolowo said in a final note “It is quite clear that the objective of the legislature and the Executive are one and same to promote and serve the best interests of the people.  If they work at cross-purposes, or refuse to cooperate and collaborate with each other, the interest of the people would be seriously endangered.”

On a more reflective mood, there is nothing to suggest any mutual agreement between the legislature and executive to promote parliamentary democracy and purposeful good governance in contradistinction to the ashes of protracted military dictatorship out of which the Fourth Republic emerged under duress.  Thanks to the tenacity of pro-democracy activists.

The National Assembly lacked the political will to take any proactive measures which in the main was to redound to the material well being and progress of the people.  It also failed abysmally to change the old sardonic narratives of giving the nation a completely new and much desired people’s constitution in a tabularasa as against the current constitution imposed on us by our big brother, the military.

This must have gone a long way to terminate and erase the odious tag of weak-kneed, self serving and military apologists often placed on the present crop of politicians who dominate the National Assembly and various State Assemblies since the inception of this political dispensation.

No wonder some of the lawmakers were easily  bought over and acquiesced to the third term agenda of former president Olusegun Obasanjo.  His weird ambition was to obliterate the old politicians in the NADECO who fought remorselessly for the lost mandate of MKO Abiola until he was murdered by his military friends.  And the NADECO forces led by Chief Michael Ajasin and Anthony Eronsele Enahoro did not relent in the fight which culminated into this Fourth Republic.

The nation has shed blood much more profuse than what we normally experienced in the unfortunate, misguided and dark days of Nigerian internecine civil war.

All hands should be on deck to rally round President Muhammadu Buhari in his unwavering crusade against corruption and insecurity bedeviling the country.

Perhaps, Muhammadu Buhari is the only man standing amongst his peers that could be vouched for not to have corruptly enriched himself inspite of his access to the highest political office in the land.  By extension, to the commanding heights of the nation’s economy.

In this connection, the presidency and the National Assembly must be manifestly seen to work assiduously and selflessly in harmony and collaboration for the very best interests of the people.

There should be fiscal discipline and restructuring in every facet of the economy for it to grow exponentially.  This must percolate to the grassroots through provision of free education at all levels and employment for all.

The National Assembly should run on part-time basis.  There is no justification whatsoever for the legislature to hold and control the purse string of the nation.  That function is the exclusive preserve of the executive.

If the presidency and the people can move swiftly against the antics of the legislature, cut down considerably its excesses, the financial problems of the country will diminish to the vanishing point or disappear in entirely.

As we enter the new year of the Lord 2020, we must go on spiritual stocktaking on our contemporary political and national history; have deeper sober reflections to reconstruct a bright and prosperous future.